Replaced
by sterolineotpforever
Summary: Tumblr prompt - Stefan becomes jealous of Damon and Caroline's freindship. He feels like he's been replaced.


**NO. 42 AS REQUESTED BY ANON** \- _Anonymous said: Can you please do a Drabble where Caroline and Damon become really close friends and Stefan gets jealous of their friendship feeling he's being replaced as her best friend._

 **Replaced**

Stefan was walking down the stairs of the boarding house when he heard the most beautiful sound in the world. Caroline's melodious laugh. It brought a smile to his face, peace in his soul, a skip in his heartbeat, and if even possible she made the dreary and depressing interior just that much brighter. He didn't know how she did it, with the sadness still lingering in her gaze, but she just made everything shine that much brighter. Maybe it was because he was in love with her, or maybe it was that she had always had that effect and he had been too blind and scared to fully notice it before. Or maybe it was just her, Caroline Forbes, eternal sunshine.

With a smile on his face and a new spring in his step he eagerly walked into his living room, his heart racing in anticipation of seeing her lovely face, when he stopped and his smile slipped off his face. There was the other half of his heart, his lonely waiting heart, laughing and smiling... and touching... Damon. In the chairs in front of the fireplace, with a glass of bourbon in their hands, sat Damon and Caroline, smiling at each other, laughing together, neither have even noticed his presence.

Pain so raw filled Stefan's heart, his breathing became uneven, and inexplicably tears prickled his eyes.

Damon was in _his_ chair, beside _their_ fireplace, laughing with _his_ girl.

Stefan felt like he was being replaced. Caroline didn't laugh that freely around him anymore, the tension in the air between them stealing away the easiness they used to share. He used to be her _best friend_ and now he felt as if he had been relegated to _just a friend_... like he had become... Matt... someone who'd loved her and lost her and then been forced to be her friend or else he would have nothing.

He felt like his heart was splitting open with oncoming heartbreak. Jealousy filled every single part of his body. The enviousness of his brother, the anger that he would once again try to take something he loved away from him, the rage that history was repeating itself once again... and anger at Caroline for even allowing Damon anywhere near her. It was irrational he knew, _he knew_ , but his heart would not listen to his head, all he could see was the past.

Damon falling for Katherine after he had clearly fallen for her.

Damon actively trying to steal Elena away from him through their whole relationship and then finally achieving just that. Though seeing as he lost her to a sleeping curse was ironic to say the least.

Damon took Lexi from him.

Damon's stupid piece of shit advice had made him confused and full of doubt so he did the worst thing he'd ever done and avoided answering Caroline's question at the funeral and he'd lost her.

And now he was trying to take Caroline away from him, to replace him as her best friend. He didn't need her, he already had two best friends – Enzo and Alaric – and one of whom was falling apart and actually needed Damon. But he was here, stealing away _his_ best friend.

Caroline finally noticed Stefan. She wore a bright smile as she saw him, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of him, only to frown as she noticed the misery on his face. Her voice was concerned as she called his name, "Stefan?"

 _I can't do this._ Stefan couldn't spend another moment pining away for Caroline when it appeared that she had already gotten over him. He swallowed his anguish and barked harshly, "I'm going out." He didn't wait for a response, he just fled.

Caroline stared wide eyed at the spot Stefan previously stood. He had all but ran away at the sight of her, the hurt clear in his gaze. Was he finally tired of waiting? Her heart clenched at the thought and a tear ran down her cheek. She was never worth being the one, people waited for Elena Gilbert not Caroline Forbes. She was the back up, the second choice, the easily discarded one. She bit her lip to hold in her sobs.

Damon frowned as he tried to understand the anger in his brothers eyes when he looked at him. He hadn't done anything to warrant that kind of look, lately anyway. He heard a whimper from Caroline and he turned his head to look at her. What he saw made his already battered heart clench. Her eyes were clenched shut, tears forcing their way past her closed lids, her lips pressed together so hard they were white as she held in her sobs. He reached across and placed his hand comfortingly on her shoulder, "Blondie?"

One touch was all it took for the dam to break. Caroline's face crumbled and the sobs spilled from her, cries escaping her throat. Damon pulled her into his chest, stroking her hair as she cried into his shirt. She had waited too long, and now Stefan was not interested.

"Ssh!" Damon soothed, running a hand along her back to try and comfort her. He wasn't sure exactly what had made the tears appear but he was sure it had something to do with his brothers hasty departure. Just what was running through that blonde head of hers? Not one for guessing he asked, "What's upset you?"

Only one word made it past Caroline's lips, the pain held within it was tangible, "Stefan."

"Because of his impression of road runner?" Damon replied.

A chuckle escaped her, sad and wet but still touched by light, "Yeah..." Caroline sighed, pulling away from Damon and confessed, "I think I made him wait too long and now he hates me."

"Don't be stupid!" Damon dismissed her thought instantly, Stefan was completely in love with Caroline and he was pretty sure that he didn't know how to hate her even if he tried, "He loves you and would wait as long as you make him."

Caroline wouldn't be so easily placated, something had made Stefan run out of here like he was on fire and she was a hundred percent sure that it was her, "He was upset and sounded angry. He took one look at me and he ran." She raised her eyebrows at Damon, "How could it not be about me?"

"Conceited much?" Damon joked, but one look at the glare on her face he dropped his joking manner and became serious, "Fine! Maybe it was about you... or maybe it was about me."

"You?" Caroline frowned in confusion, "Why would it be about you?"

"Oh, I don't know why." Damon really didn't, "But he sure as hell had an anger on his face when he looked at me."

"But why?" Caroline still didn't understand why Stefan would be mad at Damon. Despite Elena's current state as sleeping beauty Damon had been pretty good, other than the odd drained body here and there he was handling himself well.

"I don't know. But I am going to find out." Damon pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialled the familiar number.

"Damon?"

"Hey, witchy. Come over." Damon was straight to the point, he didn't need to be anything else with Bonnie, she understood him.

"Hello to you too, Damon." Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Why do you want me to come over?" Her voice became hesitant, "It's not the heretics is it?"

"No, the witchpires are quiet." Damon reassured Bonnie, he didn't want to stress her for no reason, "I need you to keep an eye on Caroline while I punch some sense into my brother."

"Damon!" Caroline punched his arm, "You are going to talk and nothing else."

"Have you met my brother and I?" Damon smirked, his eyes widening as he emphasised his point, "If we're not saving each other we are inevitably trying to kill each other. It's a brother thing."

Caroline just rolled her eyes to the heavens. It wasn't a brother thing, it was a _Salvatore_ brother thing, she frowned, and a Mikaelson brother thing, perhaps it was just a vampire brother thing, if you were turned together you eventually wanted to kill each other half the time.

Damon smirked at Caroline knowingly, "You're rambling inside your head right now, aren't you?"

Caroline stuck her tongue out at Damon and rolled her eyes.

"Uh, Hello!" Bonnie's annoyed voice came through the cellphone, "Still here." She huffed at being ignored, "If you are interested in hearing. I'll be there soon." She hung up.

Damon put his cell back into his pocket, "Okay, Bonnie's on her way over and I'm going to find my little brother."

Caroline chewed on her lip, she was afraid of what Damon would found out, if Stefan truly hated her she didn't know if she wanted to know, but if he was upset about something else, she wanted to know. Sucking in a harsh breath she almost whispered, "Tell me... tell me what he says."

"I will." Damon smiled, squeezed her hand briefly, then left to find his brother.

* * *

Stefan was sat at the bar in the grill, nursing his fourth or fifth glass of whiskey, having told Matt to leave the bottle. Matt was really the last person he wanted to see right now, as it was on the tip of his tongue to ask how they hell he could have let someone as amazing as Caroline go and just watch as she moved on to Tyler. Would that be him now? Would he be forced to watch her fall in love with another vampire, werewolf, human... he dare not even think hybrid as there was only one left now and he couldn't even stomach the thought of his Caroline with Klaus.

Enzo saddled up to the bar, throwing a smirk in Stefan's direction as he noticed his forlorn expression. He waited until he had his drink before speaking, "What has made the always broody Salvatore even more broody?"

Stefan ignored him, nowhere near in the mood to deal with _another British man_ who'd wormed their way into Caroline's affection.

"Ah, I see." Enzo chuckled, taking a generous sip before sitting on the stool beside Stefan, "Gorgeous."

"Don't call her that!" Stefan growled, his hand clenching around his glass making it shatter in his hand. He couldn't handle one more person who had a nickname for the girl he loved, if he had to hear one more; gorgeous, love, sweetheart, or Care, he might actually rip that persons had off. He rubbed his dry hand across his face and groaned, what the hell had Caroline done to him?

Matt appeared before them and took away the shards of Stefan's glass and replaced it with a new one, adding snarkily, "Try to keep this one in tact, my wages don't exactly cover Salvatore glass breakages."

Stefan glared hard at Matt, "Then perhaps I should buy this place and buy as many damn glasses as I want to break!"

"Ooh! Testy. Has someone finally pushed Saint Stefan to breaking point?" Enzo laughed, the glare on Matt's face was pathetic at best, either of them could kill him without breaking so much as a nail and he somehow thought he was intimidating? Not one bit, he was more like a Yorkshire terrier that yapped frantically at the sight of a bigger stronger dog. Not even worth the effort of barking at.

Matt sneered at Stefan, the animosity from last year coming back full force, "I don't know what Caroline or Elena even saw in you." He shook his head, "Care deserves a hell of a lot better than you."

Stefan's glare turned deadly, veins rippled under his eyes, and he all but growled, "You know nothing about what Caroline deserves. If you weren't such a coward you would have fought for her instead of almost destroying her self worth and discarding her." He leant forward across the bar, the rage darkening his eyes was almost murderous, "She is worth a hundred of you. So get out of my face before I finish what I started last year."

Fear and disgust warred inside of Matt's eyes, "I guess a ripper never changes his spots."

Stefan clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes, "And a bus boy will be nothing but a bus boy forever."

"Screw you!" Matt hissed before leaving the two vampires. If Stefan asked for another bottle he was going to fill it with vervain.

"Wow! Stefan Salvatore pissed off Matt Donovan." Damon made his presence known, his eyes almost wide as saucers, he hadn't seen Stefan like that since his last little ripper stint, "Is someone having a bad day?"

"Leave me alone, Damon." Stefan sighed, the fight instantly leaving him as he was reminded of the reason he came here in the first place. Damon replacing him in Caroline's life.

"Now I can't do that." Damon reached behind the bar and pulled out another bottle and a glass, and poured himself a glass, "I have a girl at home who is upset and I want to know why you just ran earlier."

"She's not your girl." Stefan hissed, the only thing he heard was that Damon had a girl at home, because he didn't, Caroline was supposed to be his girl.

"She's not yours either." Enzo helpfully supplied, "And if you keep making her cry I think I may just have to make good on my earlier desire to ruin your life."

"The only one who is allowed to make his life miserable is me!" Damon tilted his head to the side, "And Caroline."

Enzo chuckled, "Oh I wouldn't mind sampling gorgeous' brand of misery." He licked his lips and hummed in remembrance, "Her hands on my body were very tempting." The next thing he knew he was bent against the counter with Stefan's hand around his throat. He smirked into Stefan's jealous eyes, "Didn't know about that, mate?"

Stefan tightened his hand around Enzo's neck, the urge to squeeze and squeeze until his smirking head popped off was almost overwhelming, "She wouldn't sleep with you."

Enzo wiggled his eyebrows, "Who said anything about sleeping?"

Stefan growled, his fingernails digging into Enzo's skin, drawing blood, "Say another word about Caroline and I will gladly rip you apart."

Damon decided to intervene, "Look, Enzo, did you or did you not have sex with Blondie?" He took a sip of his drink before adding, "And be truthful because my brother is in a volatile place right now, especially concerning Caroline, and he will kill you."

Enzo rolled his eyes, "Gorgeous would never forgive him."

"Hmm." Damon narrowed his eyes contemplating, "Maybe. She did forgive him the first time though."

"Fine!" Enzo pushed Stefan off him and sat down as if nothing had just occurred, "It was when she was without her humanity."

Stefan clenched his fists, ready to remove Enzo's head from his body if he so much as took advantage of her.

"She put her hands along my chest and offered to show me her talents." Enzo chuckled as he recalled her little seduction, "I turned her down because I wouldn't take advantage of her like that." He smirked with awed pride, "Turns out one of her talents was pick pocketing because her sticky fingers stole my phone."

Stefan knew that was how Caroline got Sarah's number, she stole Enzo's phone. He released a sigh of relief and sat back at the bar.

"Leave." Damon ordered Enzo, he needed a moment alone with Stefan.

"I am not your bloody lapdog you can tell when to sit, eat, or roll over whenever you command." Enzo glared at his former/current best friend, the status of their relationship changed almost daily that it was hard to remember which they were sometimes.

"I said LEAVE!" Damon flashed his fangs at Enzo, the intent clear, leave or I will make you leave.

"Fine! No need to get pissy." Enzo rolled his eyes, as if Damon's fang face would scare him. He necked the remains of his drink and left the two brothers alone.

Stefan really wasn't in the mood to have any kind of conversation with his brother in his current mood. He was very much in the mood to snap his neck, repeatedly.

"What has you in a mood, little brother?" Damon asked, getting straight to the point.

"Nothing." Stefan said through gritted teeth.

"Right!" Damon snorted, "Like I am gonna believe that."

"Believe whatever you want." Stefan forgoes the glass and just drinks straight from the bottle, "You usually do."

"That I do." Damon turned on the stool to face his brother, "But I am not here for me I am here for Caroline." Well that certainly got a reaction, Stefan's jaw twitched and his frown pulled down even more. So whatever bothering him was about Caroline, "And why you are suddenly averse to being in her presence."

"I'm not!" Stefan denied, the aching truth was that if it was up to him he would never spend another moment away from her, but it wasn't up to him and it seemed to him as if Caroline wasn't even waiting for him anymore.

Damon raised his eyebrow, "Then why did you high tail it out of the house the moment you laid eyes on Caroline."

"I-I-" Stefan tried to deny it but he couldn't get the words past his lips. How could he admit to _Damon_ of all people that he ran because of his insecurities, his deep rooting fear that he would lose Caroline to Damon just like another other person he's loved or cared about. Over a hundred and fifty years of Damon bringing him nothing but misery had left its mark, as loathe as he was to admit that, even if just to himself.

Damon continued despite Stefan's silence, "You better have a clue as to why you did that because I left a crying and heartbroken blondie at home being looked after by Bonnie."

Stefan's heart clenched at hearing that, "Why was she crying?" He cursed his soul for the hint of hope in his voice, the need inside him for her to show him, if only once, that she still loved him.

"Because she thinks you hate her." Damon was blunt, with Stefan you had to be, for him to get anything you had to hit him in the head repeatedly with a sledgehammer, "She thinks she made you wait too long and now you hate her." He glared meaningfully at Stefan, "Is that true?"

"What? No!" Stefan was horrified that Caroline could even think that. He could never hate her, and especially not for making him wait, he would wait years for her if only for the promise of a forever with her.

"Then what is it?" Damon was relentless, he was sick of watching Stefan and Caroline dance around each other wondering whether the other was still waiting, still loving, when it was obvious to everyone that they were deeply in love and should get together already. They were only making each other miserable.

Stefan knew his brother, and he knew that he wouldn't let him leave until he got the truth. He gathered his courage, drinking the remains of what was in the bottle before reluctantly admitting through gritted teeth, "I'm jealous of you."

"What?" Damon's eyes widened almost comically, "Why?"

Stefan groaned in embarrassment before just saying everything, "Ever since you apologized to Caroline and she made you grovel before accepting it." Just remembering that put a smile on his face, "You and her became friends, and I was fine with that, I was happy even, because the two people I love the most and would hopefully have at my side for eternity were finally getting along."

"O-Kay." Damon drawled out, his brow wrinkled in confusion, "I still don't see a problem."

Stefan swallowed the lump in his throat before continuing, "Then you began to grow closer, becoming good friends. Making her smile and laugh. Sharing her thoughts by the fireplace." A tear slipped down his cheek and he whispered, "Things I used to do with her when we were best friends. I feel like I'm being replaced... by you." He took a shuddering breath, "Like history repeating itself yet again."

"You're an idiot." Damon replied instantly, almost in disbelief at how much of an idiot his brother truly was.

"Thanks." Was Stefan's dry reply.

"On a scale of idiot I think you even surpassed Jeremy Gilbert, and are now on the way to even Tyler Lockwood and Matt Donovan levels of idiocy." Damon voice was amused.

Despite his jealousy toward his brother Stefan couldn't help the smile that curved his lips.

"Listen here, brother." Damon placed his hands on Stefan's shoulders turning his body to face him, his eyes locking on his and portraying his seriousness, "I am friends with Caroline, and it will only ever be a friendship between us. One, because I abused her when she was human. Two, because I am in love with Elena. And three, I wouldn't do that to you again, Stefan."

After his brother spelt it out for him, Stefan realised just how ridiculous he had been. The whole last few years his brother had wanted nothing more than Elena, and now having to live his life without her he still wanted nothing but Elena. Stefan dropped his head to the table and groaned. He was such an absolute idiot.

"Finally got through your head, little brother?" Damon chuckled, sipping at his drink and just waiting for what Stefan was going to do next in, three, two, one... bingo!

Stefan's head shot up off the counter, his eyes wide with panic, his breathing quickened, "Caroline!" Not caring if anyone saw him he vamp sped away.

"Get the girl, brother." Damon laughed, signalling at Matt to bring him another bottle, then pulled out his cellphone, texting Alaric to get over to the grill now.

* * *

Stefan had never ran so fast before, his only thought was to reach Caroline as quick as possible and diffuse whatever problem he'd created so that they could get back on track of waiting for one another to be ready. He crashed through the doors of the boarding house, his heart tearing in two at the tear stains on her cheeks as she cried in Bonnie's arms.

Caroline jumped at the sound of the door banging open, and the sight of Stefan staring at her had her ducking her head and wiping her tears immediately. She didn't want him to know that she'd cried over him.

Bonnie knew that Caroline and Stefan needed to have a conversation so she decided to make herself scarce, "I'm gonna go and see what Damon's up to." She squeezed Caroline's hand in support and glared at Stefan as she passed him, mouthing "Fix this!" as she left.

Stefan stared at Caroline, he rushed over here so fast that he hadn't actually thought of what he was going to say. As she looked at him warily with those blue, so so blue eyes, he decided that it was time to take a leaf out of the Damon Salvatore handbook. After all actions speak louder than words.

"Stefan..." Caroline's voice quivered, the intensity in Stefan's eyes both thrilled her and scared her.

Stefan sucked in a breath, squared his shoulders, and marched his way over to Caroline. He watched the way her eyes widened and her breath quickened as he neared her. He took that as a good sign as he bent over her. Looking deep into her teary gaze, his eyes shone with his own emotions, and he let her fully into their depths, "I'm an idiot, and I'm so sorry for making you doubt me." He brushed his thumb along her cheek to tangle in her soft hair, "I am so in love with you that all I can see and feel is you. I love you so much, Caroline." He gaze dropped to her inviting lips before he closed the distance and kissed her softly.

Caroline gasped into Stefan's mouth, shock filling her at his bold move, before her eyes fluttered closed and she just enjoyed the moment. She placed her hands on his biceps, steadying herself from the dreamlike state his kisses put her, and hesitantly opened her mouth.

Stefan smiled against her as she opened up for him, he dragged his tongue along her bottom lip, savouring the little moan that escaped her, before dipping into her warm cavern and tasting her. He trailed his hand along her sides, breath catching as he skirted the edge of her breast before cupping her neck and kissing her harder.

Caroline ran her fingers down his chest to curl around his back, and needing to be closer to him she stood, bringing their bodies flush together. Her breath stopped as she felt the hard poke at her stomach of Stefan's desire for her.

Stefan moved his hands to cup her cheeks, stroking the soft skin as he pulled back to rest his head against her. He was moments away from hoisting her into his arms and disappearing into his bedroom with her for hours, days, weeks. But no matter how much he wanted to be with her he was still unsure if she was ready or not. He opened his mouth to ask when her fingers covered his lips.

"My turn." Caroline trailed her fingers from his lips, down his throat, to rest against his heart, "I am sorry I made you wait so long, Stefan."

Stefan shook his head frantically, "It wasn't that. I was jealous, insanely jealous of your new friendship with Damon." He looked down and winced, "I felt like I was being replaced."

"Stefan..." Caroline's voice was loving and yet reprimanding, "No one could ever replace you. Most definitely not your brother." She placed her hand under his chin to lift his gaze to hers, they were so full of love for her that she gasped, it was beyond time for her to return it. She smiled up at him, her fingers stroking along his jaw, and with the softest of tones she admitted finally, "I love you, Stefan. I am so in love with you." Her smile widened at the unmistakable joy in his gaze and the beaming grin on his face, "I am done waiting."

It took a second for her final words to register as he was still floating on a cloud from the happy daze her confession of love sent him to. When it finally did his gaze sought hers, and seeing the certainty and the love within their depths he couldn't help the cry that escaped his lips and the desperation in his touch as he pulled her to him, moulding their mouths easily together.

Caroline returned his hungry kisses with equal passion, her hands roaming along his back as his were buried in her hair. Moans of pleasure escaped them both, heat rising between the two of them. When she felt they were reaching the point of no return she pulled away with a gasp, her heart racing within her chest, her breath coming out in pants, "I don't want us to go too fast."

"We won't." Stefan nodded, he understood that Caroline didn't want to rush, that although they had already slept together with no humanity she wanted it to be different this time. He would do anything she wanted, more than happy to spend his days kissing her and holding her close until the magical moment they made love. He brushed a tender kiss against her mouth, "Stay with me tonight."

"Stefan, I want to wait."

"I just want to hold you in my arms, Caroline." Stefan ran his hands down her back to cross his arms and hold her against him, "And I want to wake up with you."

Caroline smiled, "I want that too." She nuzzled her nose under his chin, her palms flat against his chest, feeling the racing beat of his heart under her hand.

Stefan kissed the top of her head and couldn't stop smiling as he rest his chin atop her head. After waiting for her she was finally ready to be with him, she had finally admitted her love, something he already knew but had never heard leave her beautiful mouth. He breathed in her vanilla scent, and released it with a happy sigh, "I love you, Caroline."

Caroline smiled and brushed a kiss against his neck, loving the shudder that ran through him, "I love you too, Stefan."

THE END

AN – I hope you all enjoyed it!


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